Toolbox: Wide Zooms
Get an exciting perspective on portraits, scenics and more with these zoom lenses
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Wide-angle lenses display their merits in many different situations and are highly desirable for any photographer. Specially designed optics make them perfect for capturing large expanses in landscape photography or big groups of people confined to tight areas. When you further combine wide-angle lenses with the flexibility to zoom, their appeal suddenly becomes even greater.
Since many D-SLRs use sensors smaller than the 35mm film frame for which lenses were historically designed, lens makers have had to design new lenses in order to maintain the ability to capture wide-angle shots with these smaller-sensor cameras. To get the classic look of a 28mm lens with 35mm film, a focal length of 17mm is required. So, when you're shopping for a wide-angle lens, keep your camera sensor in mind. If your camera has a full-frame sensor, a 17mm will give you an extremely wide perspective compared to the same lens on a camera with a smaller sensor. For more on this and sensor technology in general, check out the article "Sensors Exposed" in this issue.
You'll find that wide-angle zooms with fast apertures that stay consistent throughout the zooming range are expensive to manufacture and, therefore, more costly to purchase. These are quality lenses worth the extra investment, however. While a fast and constant aperture isn't essential, if you're performing a lot of handheld, low-light work, it makes a lot of sense.
With all this in mind, here's a breakdown of popular wide-angle zooms available from each major manufacturer.
Canon EF 17-40mm ƒ/4L USM Ultrawide Zoom With an approximate 35mm equivalent of 28-70mm on sub-full-frame cameras, a constant ƒ/4 aperture and 17-40mm range, this is a great lens for both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras. By utilizing three aspheric lens elements and super ultra-low-dispersion (UD) glass, the Canon Zoom minimizes distortions and aberrations. A rear gelatin filter slot accepts up to three gel filters for stacking, and the front-end 77mm diameter is shared by other Canon "L" zoom lenses, so the photographer can swap filters easily across lenses. The lens focuses as close as 11 inches and offers manual or autofocusing with the proprietary Ultrasonic Motor (USM). The L-series lenses also offer weather-resistant construction. Estimated Street Price: $700.
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85MM ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR This compact 5.3x zoom lens covers a wide focal range of 16-85mm (24-127.5mm equivalent on a 35mm camera) that's perfect for portraits and medium-telephoto shooting. Extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass elements minimize chromatic aberration and a Super Integrated Coating reduces ghosting and flare while enhancing color reproduction. Improved Vibration Reduction II (VR II) minimizes image blur by up to four stops for handheld shooting in lower light and includes automatic panning detection. The Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology uses "traveling waves" by converting them into rotational energy to perform autofocus functions accurately and quietly. Autofocus and manual control can be switched back and forth easily. The G-type lenses use the functions of the camera body to determine their aperture, therefore eliminating the added weight and design needs of an aperture ring. The filter diameter accepts 67mm attachments. Estimated Street Price: $599.
Olympus 12-60mm ƒ/2.8-4 ED SWD Zuiko Zoom Olympus' Supersonic Wave Drive Technology (SWD) promises an AF system with fast speeds, quiet operation and precision tracking that's accurate to five microns (5/1000mm). When combined with the Olympus E-3, the 5x 12-60mm zoom offers extremely fast focusing in approximately 0.17 seconds. The zoom range covers an equivalent 24-120mm on a 35mm lens, and optical construction features one Super ED (extra- low-dispersion), two ED, one Aspherical ED and two Aspherical lenses for correcting various types of aberration. Minimum focusing distance is just under 10 inches, and the lens features dust- and splashproof construction. Seamless switching from AF to MF is easy to perform with the Full-Time Manual Focusing function. Estimated Street Price: $899.
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